Kosem Episode 3 Summary

This is a summary and translation of the third episode of Muhtesem Yuzyil Kosem. This is a Turkish language historical drama, the successor drama to the highly successful Muhtesem Yuzyil, Magnificent Century, about the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent. Kosem runs on Star TV in Turkey and is produced by TIMS productions, and produced by Timur Savci. For more info: Kosem Wikipedia entry, Muhtesem Yuzyil Kosem on Facebook,  Star TV, TIMS productions.

The third episode was excellent. We see the young sultan Ahmet struggling with a major crisis and challenge to his authority from his own grandmother, Safiye Sultan. She obviously doesn’t want to give up her power, so she incites a Janissary rebellion in order to force her grandson to bargain with her.

Muhtesem Yuzyil Kosem episode 3 summary/translation

Episode title: The Tower of Justice

The Sultan’s chamber (Has Oda)

In the opening scene of episode three, Anastasia awakens once again in the sultan’s bed. She has been sleeping with her head against his shoulder, as if they simply lay down backwards after the end of the previous episode where they were sitting at the end of the bed. Both are still dressed, so it is clear no lovemaking had yet taken place.

While Ahmet sleeps, she rises quietly. She still looks troubled by her situation. Ahmet has not yet succeeded in winning her over.

Outside the palace

An old man comes to the guards outside the Sultan’s palace. We recognize him as the head physician from episode “Tell Reyhan aga that I must see the sultan immediately.”

The guards conduct him inside.

 

Has Oda

Ahmet awakes and looks for Anastasia. He calls for her. “Nasia ? Nasia?!

Dervish knocks and  enters the sultan’s chamber. “Forgive me, my sultan, but there is a matter you must know about immediately.”

 

Harem corridors

Ana seems to typify the old adage that every prisoner has a duty to try to escape, because once again, she goes looking for the secret passage. She saw Halime leave via this passage with her children, and she escaped (briefly) so there must be a way to use the passage to get outside the palace walls.

She opens it, goes inside, exploring. She comes up a small doorway that leads to a grill, through which she can see a chamber. Reyhan aga is there, speaking with the doctor who arrived a few minutes before.

The agitated doctor tells Reyhan that he has investigated and concluded that the previous sultan was indeed poisoned. (Ahmet had commanded the doctor to keep this matter a secret between the two of them, so the physician is making a very stupid mistake here). He explains that it was a slow poison that would not kill with just one spoonful, but would be lethal when taken over time.

His proof of this was that he gave a small amount of the poison to a dog  for forty days. At first, nothing happened, but on the 40^th day, the dog died.

“Who would dare do such a thing?” says Reyhan.

The doctor says he knows and that he must tell the sultan.

Reyhan stabs him.

Ana gasps and makes a sound as she jumps away from the grill and closes the door.

Reyhan opens the panel and discovers  her. He chases her through the dark secret passage and she tries to fight him off, but eventually he catches her and knocks her unconscious.

 

The tower of justice

Ahmet and Dervish go up to the tower of justice and look out.  The soldiers are as rioting and trying to break in through the outer gate of the palace.

Ahmet: “Dervish, what do they want?”

They want you, hunkarim. If they don’t get the bonus they are expecting (the bonus traditionally given when a new sultan takes the throne), they will break in and pull the walls down around our heads.

 

Credits.

 

Reyhan’s chamber

Reyhan pulls Anastasia’s unconscious body into the room with the dead physician. He stares down at them both–now he has two people to get rid of.

 

The tower of justice

Ahmet is in the tower with Safiye Sultan, his grandmother. She urges him not to give way to anger, but to placate the troops. Ahmet, clearly angry, insists  he’s not giving into anybody’s demands.

She points out that they are crazy with rage and might even try to dethrone him. She reminds him of a previous revolt by the Janissaries last year during his father’s reign. Disaster was only averted by meeting their demands. She urges that he pay them the amount of the bonus that they are expecting. (Of course she knows that he doesn’t have the funds).

Ahmet: “If only that were possible. There is not enough in the treasury to pay them their bonus.”

Safiye tells him that she has money in her treasury that could be used to meet their demands.

“What would you expect in return for this?”

“If you give up the plan to exile me, I will open my treasury.”

 

Outside the gates

The gates give way to the force of the army. We see the leader of the Sipahi (calvary) troops who made the demand of the Sultan last week. He appears to be leading this group, and there is also a Janissary leader who is in cahoots with him. They are the main trouble-makers.

Meanwhile Zulfikar comes rushing in, saying, “Oh my God, this is bad.”

When the Janissaries come up against the palace guards with swords raised, he steps  between the two groups and urges them to resolve this matter without bloodshed.

The leader of the Sipahi group says “of course there will be no bloodshed if we get what we want.”

 

Inside the gates

Inside we see the Sultan with Dervish, who is asking him why he refused his grandmother’s offer.

Ahmet: “No one is going to impose conditions on me.”

The new Sultan is young, proud, and stubborn. He insists that he will not bow his head to anyone.

Dervish is trying to talk some sense into him. He points out that the Sipahi and Janissary strength combined is very powerful and tat there is not enough time to bring in forces from other locations to defend them.

 

A small dock outside the palace walls

Reyhan has the doctor and Anastasia sewn into bags. He heaves the doctor into the Bosphorus and turns to Anastasia. She wakes up. She has made a slight tear in the seam of her sack, so she can see out. She begins screaming for help.

But Reyhan rolls her over the edge into the water, saying, “Tell your troubles to the fish.”

As she sinks in the water, she struggles to free herself of the bag. She finally gets, out but she seems to be out of time because she doesn’t swim to the surface. As she looks up, though, she believes she sees her father reaching out his hand and telling her not to give up. In fact, it is her old friend Golge who rescues her and pulls her out of the water.

 

The tower of justice

Handan, Ahmet’s mother, comes rushing into the tower.

Safiye sultan is calmly gazing out at the rioting soldiers.

Safiye: “I offered to open my coffers to him, but he has refused my offer.”

Outside, the soldiers break through the various courtyards and are approaching the innermost part of the palace. To avoid bloodshed, Zulfikar has asked the palace guard to lower their swords, which they do.

As the leader of the sipahi demands justice (i.e., the money), a member of the Divan scolds them for their behavior, repeating that they will be paid as soon as the funds arrive from Egypt. This has little effect on the crowd.

The leaders insist that they want it now. They’ve been patient enough. There will be no return to their hearth until they get the money that is rightfully theirs.

Pasha: “What are you going to do–kill us?”

“Yes! Blood will flow!”

But another leader steps forward and says “No, it’s not you that we have a problem with, it’s the Sultan. Either he gives us what he owes us or he gives us his throne.”

 

Inside the gates

Dervish tells the Sultan that they have to leave by another exit.

Ahmet: “What? Run away? No!”

Dervish points out that there is another solution. (He is referring to Safiye’s offer).

But Ahmet is determined not to make a deal with Safiye sultan.

A rock is thrown in the area where the sultan and his guards are waiting, and when he sees it, Ahmet realizes how vulnerable he is. Later we discover that he keeps the rock as a reminder of this experience.

Dervish offers to go out himself and talk to them.

 

The courtyard

Dervish comes out to speak to the soldiers. His bearing is confidant and authoritative. He says, “Let it be known by all of you that your sovereign has promised to give you the bonus money as soon as it arrives from Egypt. Let  everyone respect this promise, for if you do not respect it,  your heads will roll.   Don’t compound your mistakes! If everybody stands down now, his Majesty will forgive you and there will be no consequences.”

There is a slight hesitation. Dervish has been very convincing.

But then the main agitators repeat they have waited long enough. They want what is rightfully theirs, and for them there’s no going back.

Zulfikar tries to argue with them but they don’t listen. Either the Sultan comes or the Sultan goes. (Either he comes out and gives them their money or they will depose him).

 

The harem

Anastasia is carried into the main harem salon. Everybody crowds around asking what happened to her.

Reyhan aga is shocked to see that Anastasia is still alive. He is obviously worried about what she will say about who tried to murder her.

Cennet calls for the doctor and demands that a place in the harem infirmary be made ready for Ana.

 

The palace courtyard

Ahmet is watching the proceedings outside through a small opening in the palace gates. He notices that Zulfikar aga is trying to stop the riot by reminding the soldiers that the sultan is their leader and their brother. Unfortunately, it’s not working; the crowd is too incensed.

Just when everything seems about to degenerate into a total riot, a charismatic man in a turban approaching with a walking stick. From a distance, he looks a little like Muhtesem Yuzyil’s Matrakci Nasuh Effendi, but not so much when we see him close up.

He is a religious leader who is respected by the soldiers. The crowds part for him and he stands before them and begins to speak. Basically, he shames the soldiers into behaving themselves. How can they allow anger and hatred to overwhelm their feelings for the sultan, who is their ordained leader.

Rather, they should be motivated by love and respect. He tells them that if they insist on going forward, they will be marching to their own destruction. Isn’t it better to accept the sultan’s promise and return to their camps?

His words move the men. They come to their senses and disperse, and the crisis is averted.

 

The tower of justice

Up in the tower, Safiye sultan watches impassively. Handan, Ahmet’s mother and the valide sultan, tells Safiye that she knows that Safiye was trying to make a bargain with her son in order to prevent herself from the exiled from the old palace. She demands that Safiye accept the reality of what will happen to her now—she will be exiled to the Palace of Tears.

Safiye is unimpressed with Handan’s prediction about her fate.

Handan: “Your era is over. It is my era now.”

But Handan will soon find out that Safiye still has a few tricks up her sleeve.

 

Inside the gates

Ahmet is angry about the lack of loyalty from his soldiers. But he seems to be impressed with the man who intervened on the throne’s behalf.

Ahmet: “Who was that guy?”

Dervish explains that he is a religious leader who is well-known around the city. Aziz Something (Sorry, I didn’t catch his entire name, but I’m sure we’ll see him again).

Ahmet thinks he must have been sent by God to save him.

 

The harem infirmary

Cennet is telling the female harem physician that she must do her best to make Ana well because the girl is important to the sultan. And her responsibility.

Reyhan aga enters Ana’s room and is about to suffocate her with a pillow when the sultan comes bursting in. Reyhan pretends to be solicitously tucking a pillow behind Ana’s head.

Ahmet demands to know what happened.

 

Safiye Sultan’s garden

Safiye is conversing with her loyal Nasuh aga. She claims to be impressed with her grandson’s behavior during the crisis—he is both stubborn and intelligent, she notes, which can be good in a ruler. However, she wants him to do as she says.

 

Infirmary

Reyhan claims he has no knowledge of what happened to Anastasia. They were all busy with what was going on outside with the rebellion.

Apparently, the girl trying to escape, so one of the palace guards was punishing her for that.

“Who? Which guard?” Ahmet demands, but they all claim they don’t know.

Golge saw someone pushing her into the water, but she was too far away to recognize who it was. (I can’t help wondering how Golge knew who was in the sack).

Ahmet is furious. “How could this happen?” he challenges Reyhan aga. “Supposedly not even a bird can fly without your knowing about it, but you didn’t know about this??”

Reyhan aga acts chastened and pretends to be innocent.

 

Safiye’s garden

Meanwhile, Nasuh aga is telling Safiye that the real person to worry about is not Handan, but Dervish. Safiye is already one step ahead of him. She gives him a message that she commands to be sent to the Grand Vizier, who’s coming back to the capital from Egypt.

 

The infirmary

Dervish questions Golge using sign language. She confirms that she didn’t see who it was who threw Anastasia into the Bosphorus.

When Anastasia wakes up after being in the water, she looks around and sees the crowd standing around her. One of them, she realizes, is the man who tried to drown her.

Ahmet is sitting on her bed, deeply concerned. But when he asks her what happened, she says she doesn’t remember. All she knows is that she left the sultan’s room,  but after that she recalls nothing.

Ahmet: “You don’t remember? How can this be?”

Dudu hatun says it can happen because she’s had a shock.

Ahmet is told that she was trying to escape and one of the guards caught her.

Ahmet: “Is that the truth? Were you trying to escape?”

She says again that she doesn’t remember, but she admits that, yes she wanted to escape.

Ahmet is devastated to hear this. He orders everyone out so he can speak with her alone.

 

Anteroom

Dervish gets in Reyhan’s face. “Do you have anything to tell me?”

Reyhan plays innocent. “No. There is nothing. What could there be?”

Dervish looks suspicious, but he lets it pass.

 

Infirmary

Ahmet:  “Every night when I would lay my head on my pillow, all I ever wanted was to wake up again (not to die). I always had my dagger ready at my side. But now, because of you, I want more. The feel of you, the scent of you. You and I were together all night. But when I woke up in the morning, I was alone. You left me. You ran away.”

Stricken, Anastasia covers his hand with hers. “Ahmet—“

But he slides his hand away. Then he gets up and leaves her.

Ahmet is hurt and angry both because Anastasia is still trying to escape from him. And because her life was put into danger.

Outside the infirmary room, he pulls Reyhan aside and tells him that from now on it’s his responsibility to protect Anastasia’s life. He’d better make sure she doesn’t run away again. If anything happens to her, he will have Reyhan’s head.

This puts Reyhan into an awkward position. He can’t kill her now unless he wants to die himself.

 

Has Oda (the sultan’s chamber)

The little shehzade Mustafa is shown into the sultan’s room. He advances slowly and reluctantly, Ahmet stoops down to welcome him.

“Are you afraid of me, Mustafa?”

“Not of you. I’m afraid of the cellats.” (The executioners).

“Don’t be afraid. That bad dream is over. You’re such a brave little boy.”

“Dear abi (big brother),” Mustafa says and cuddles close.

 

Harem main chamber

Anastasia sees Golge and hurries over to thank her for saving her life. Then she admits that she remembers everything. She was afraid to speak about it, because if they knew what she remembers, they would surely kill her.

Just as she’s about to say more, Reyhan comes into the room. He sees them conversing (Golge is mute, so she uses signs, but she can hear). Reyhan calls Golge over and questions her, asking if Anastasia remembers anything.

Golge lies and tells him she doesn’t.

But when she sees them together, Ana isn’t sure whom she can trust. When Golge returns and asks her for more information, Ana makes an excuse and refuses to say anything more.

Her expression tells us that she is alone, with no allies. The sultan is upset with her, and although Golge, who helped to kidnap her, just saved her life, her true loyalty might lie elsewhere. Who can she trust?  So far, Anastasia hasn’t made any friends in the harem.

 

Giray brothers’ rooms

Shahin and Mehmet Giray are having a talk about their plans. It appears that his brother has interrupted Mehmet writing a letter, probably to Fahriye, since he is careful to hide the letter under a book.

Shahin speaks of the request that Ahmet promised to grant and asks if his brother would like to have the Crimean throne.

Mehmet: “All you ever talked about was your dream of having the Crimean throne to yourself. Why would you want to give it to me? Are you testing my loyalty?”

“I am confident in your loyalty, my brother. But I have bigger dreams.”

“What dreams, Shahin? What would be bigger than the throne of the Crimea?”

Shahin strokes his finger of the map of Europe and Anatolia. “The world,” he replies. “The world is bigger.”

Mehmet points out that the Ottoman throne, where Shahin’s finger had lingered, belongs to the Osman dynasty.

Shahin answers, “It’s not thrones that make kings, but dreams. It was their dreams that brought about the greatness of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Suleyman the Magnificent.”

 

Handan’s chambers

Handan tells Dudu hatun that she wants a different girl sent every night to Ahmet to maximize the chances that he has a son soon.

Halime is announced.

Halime: “Valide Sultan.” She bows and respectfully thanks Handan for saving her son’s life. Handan points out that it was the Sultan who saved his life, not her. Unfazed, Halime proposes a partnership. They need to unite against Safiye sultan, their common enemy.

Handan: “That problem is already solved–Safiye sultan is about to be exiled to the old palace.”

Halime: “Do you really believe that she is leaving? Instead of going herself, she’ll do everything she can to send you away.”

Handan looks a little doubtful.

Halime: “With your power and my brains and courage, we can unite against her. You need me.”

Handan isn’t convinced. Coldly, she says, “Çekilebilirsin.” (You may withdraw).

 

Harem

Mustafa is playing on his hobbyhorse, pretending that he is riding with the army to conquer Vienna. He and Anastasia talk briefly. She tells him that she wishes she could ride away with him. Then she could go home.

He says, “But that’s forbidden.” She says regretfully, “I know.”

Halime parades through the room and the camera follows her into the corridor.

Halime is annoyed after her fruitless visit to Handan. Her serving woman warns her not to do anything rash. She reminds Halime that she was barely able to save her own life the last time.

Halime insists she has to do something. She must think about the future. After all, what’s going to happen the moment when Mahfiruz gives birth to a son of Ahmet’s? Her own son’s death warrant will be signed.

 

Marketplace

Mehmet meets his love Fahriye sultan in a small shop in the marketplace. They passionately declare their love for each other.  But Fahriye is clearly troubled. She revels in Mehmet’s light touches, but she keeps pulling away. She says she doesn’t have much time because her mother might notice that she is not at the palace.

He gives her the necklace that he bought from Solomon, the jeweler, telling her that the jewels are unique, just like her.

She says she can only see sorrow in their future. He tells her that the only sorrow is being separated from her. To him there is nothing more important than that.

She tells him that his life is more important.

He puts the necklace round her neck.

She says that if anybody finds out about their relationship his life will be a sacrificed, but he responds by telling her a story from his childhood. One day, he was lost in the forest. It grew very dark and there were trees everywhere, surrounding and confusing him. He wandered in circles and could not find his way out.

She asks “How were you saved from this?”

“Shahin found me. He rescued me. And I learned then that no matter how dark and endless any night may seem, the sun will always rise again.”

As Fahriye is leaving, a man with a hooded face watches her. When Mehmet comes out behind her, he reveals himself—the hooded man is his brother.

“So? Fahriye Sultan?” Shahin says tauntingly.

The Valide Sultan’s office

Ana is writing a letter in Italian, thanking someone for a gift that Sophia has been sent. She notes that Safiye is writing to somebody from the Medici family. Safiye tells her that her Italian is good—obviously, her parents educated her well.

They catch a glimpse of Ahmet on his balcony, looking as if he has just gotten out of bed (he’s in his pajamas). Sophia says that Handan is sending him another girl every night. Soon, hopefully, they will have a baby crying in the palace.

Ana confides that he’s mad at her and he doesn’t want her anymore. Safiye says that she should wear her love like armor and that “if you need to escape, love is the safest harbor.”

 

Janissary camp

Alex/Iskender is looking at Ana’s ribbon when one of his friends comes along and says “That belonged to that girl on the road, didn’t it?”

Alex is startled. “What are you talking about? How do you know this?”

The kid tells him that he talked to the guy on the road and that they were taking Ana to the sultan’s palace.

Iskender asks his other friend, Hassan, how well he knows the city of Istanbul. Can he show him the sultan’s palace?

 

The harem

It is nighttime and all the girls are sleeping, but someone wakes Ana and tells her to get ready because the sultan has summoned her.

A little while later, she is dressed and heading for the sultan’s room, but she is frightened when she sees it’s Reyhan who’s waiting to take her. To make matters worse, instead of leading her down the Golden Road, he leads her in a different direction. He tells her that the sultan wants to see her in the tower of justice. She obviously doesn’t believe him, but she has no other choice than to go with him.

She is not reassured when she is taken to a location where she finds Dervish waiting. She is then directed up the stairs to the top of the tower. She climbs the unfamiliar staircase slowly. She is relieved to find Ahmet really is waiting at the top for her.

Ana: “Ahmet?” She hurries to his side.

Ahmet apologizes for waking her but says he needed to see her.

Ana: “I thought you were mad at me.  But when you asked me if I’d wanted to run away, I told you the truth because I couldn’t lie to you.”

He takes her to a huge window overlooking the city. “I want you to see something. This is a great city of Istanbul, formerly Constantinople. If you want, we could go outside and I could show you the city. It’s my home. I want it to become your home too. Why can’t you be happy here?”

She points out that he doesn’t seem to be very happy here, either.

He says yes but “the times have changed. Now I’m the Padishah and everything you say before you is mine.”

“Like me. I am yours too. I am a slave. Your property.”

“Have I ever treated you badly?”

“No, you still don’t understand. It’s not you. You’re okay. But you have many girls here. You take a different girl to bed every night.”

“I don’t want any of them. The only person I want is you.”

He then recites some of his love poetry to her, as Suleyman used to do with Hurrem.

Of course, she softens toward him as the sun slowly rises behind them.

 

Janissary camp

Davut, the bully among the Janissaries who tried to cheat on the race with Iskender, picks on Iskender’s friend Hassan. Iskender goes to defend him. There’s obviously bad blood between Iskender and Davut. Hassan pretends to be miffed at being rescued. “I had things under control,” he claims, and they go off laughing.

 

Harem gardens

A carriage arrives with Mustafa aga. Bulbul is there to greet him. He has accompanied the Vezir-i-Azam home from Egypt.

Mustafa aga has a bit of an attitude. He says the other agas now have to call him haji,  because he has completed the Haj.

Bulbul is not pleased that this guy is back.

Mustafa aga reports to Handan, who learns, to her dismay, that they didn’t bring the treasury from Egypt.

 

Divan

At the Divan meeting between the sultan, the Grand Vizier and the other officials, Ahmet is angrily demanding an explanation.  The vizier claims they couldn’t bring the funds by sea because of the threat of pirates. They sent it over land instead.

Ahmet: “And what am I going to tell my subjects? That I can’t keep my promise? That we have deceived them?”

He is freaking out. He knows how much hangs on his keeping his promise to pay the soldiers.

 

Valide Sultan’s rooms

Safiye Sultan meets a delegation of pashas, including the Grand Vizier, from behind a screen. When she praises them for doing her bidding, we understand the meaning of the letter she sent earlier in the show. She is the one behind this non-arrival of the treasury funds.

The Grand Vizier admits that he actually has the treasury and that it can be sent for when appropriate. Clearly, he lied to the sultan.

When the troops find out about the supposed lack of funds, Safiye knows there will be trouble, but she believes she can control it.

Safiye: “There will be a fire, but we will be the ones to decide who gets burned.” (She frequently uses the “royal we.”)

 

Has Oda

The Sultan receives a report from Mustafa aga, who claims that the Grand Vizier refused his suggestion to bring the money. Dervish figures the vizier is loyal to Safiye sultan.

Another subject is raised. Mustafa aga was the one who sent the letter in episode 1 alleging that the previous sultan, Ahmet’s father, was murdered.

Ahmet: “Do you have any evidence?”

Mustafa aga: “Unfortunately, no. What about the doctor who was attending him?”

Ahmet notes that the doctor hasn’t been heard from in quite a while and orders him to be brought to him to report.

Meanwhile Dervish offers to go speak to the Janissary camp to try to head off any problems tomorrow. Ahmet announces that he will go along too.

 

Handan’s balcony

Handan and Dervish are speaking. She is very worried about her son, as usual. Dervish assures her once again that he will protect her son and then she can count on him.

In the palace garden below, Halime is sitting and watching her children play. She looks up and notes that Dervish is paying a lot of attention to Handan Sultan.

 

Janissary camp

The sultan goes to talk to the Janissaries. He admits that there is an important problem. While he is speaking, Iskender, who is in his dormitory and apparently does not know about the arrival of the sultan, notices that his ribbon is gone. He searches wildly for it and quickly suspects that Davut, his enemy, must have it. He going running out, seeking Davut.

Ahmet explains that the funds haven’t arrived on schedule. But he assures them all that there’s nothing to worry about. The money will come soon and all his promises will be kept.

 

The Janissaries look dismayed at the news. But before they can react badly, they all become aware of the fight between Davut, who does indeed have the ribbon, and Iskender.

 

When Zulfikar goes to break it up, Ahmet orders them to make the fighting pit available. He will test the mettle of this quarrelsome cadet.

Ahmet and Iskender will fight with wooden swords. Iskender is warned that under no circumstances should he defeat the Sultan.

At first, Ahmet is clearly winning. Every time he knocks the weapon from Iskender’s hand, the soldiers chant, “Long live the king!”

But troublemaker Davut catches Iskender’s eye and taunts him with the ribbon. Iskender loses his cool and begins attacking aggressively. Soon he is getting the better of Ahmet, and he eventually knocks him down.

There is an appalled silence. Iskender comes to his senses, drops his wooden sword and bows his head before his sovereign. Ahmet gets up from the sand and strikes Iskander down with his fist, and then strides out of the fighting pit.

Iskender is in big trouble. He is dragged down into a cellar and the leaders assure the sultan that he will be appropriately punished.

 

The meyhane (tavern)

Shahin Giray is enjoying himself with two women when Mehmet comes up to him. Shahin basically mocks Mehmet for thinking that he has any chance of a marriage to Fahriye Sultan.

Shahin: “After all these years I’ve taking care of you, protecting you, and you’re putting everything in danger over a woman?”

Mehmet:  “She’s not just any woman.”

Shahin: “Fine. She’s not just any woman. She’s a sultana and she’s the daughter of our enemy, Safiye sultan!”

Mehmet: “I know who she is, but she has my heart and I have hers.”

Shahin: “Your fantasy is even crazier than mine.”

Mehmet: “No actually, it is not a fantasy. It is something that you could accomplish for me.”

Shahin: “Me?!”

Mehmet reminds him that the Sultan has promised Shahin a reward for bringing Halime and Mustafa back to the place.  Mehmet wants his brother to ask for Fahriye’s hand for Mehmet.

Shahin is dumbfounded. He has obviously never considered this in his plans.

Shahin: “You would give up the throne of Crimea for this?”

Mehmet: “I would give up my life for this.”

Shahin “And you think the sultan would allow this if I asked for it?”

Mehmet: “It my only hope. Do this for me. Please. Do it.”

 

Dervish’s office

Halime goes to talk to Dervish. She has previously noted that he is clever. She raises the subject of Shahin Giray, questioning whether he is trustworthy. Dervish points out that since he prevented her son’s escape, she is probably biased. She acknowledges this, but suggests that Giray might have other goals beyond the Crimean throne. She fingers one of his chess pieces. She is playing the Game of Thrones 🙂

 

Sultan’s Hamam

Ahmet is bathing naked in the hamam.

He has sent for Anastasia. She arrives, realizes he has no clothes on, and looks away, embarrassed.

He asks her to stay with him tonight. He is lonely without her.

She asks him about the stone, he says it’s to remember the insult of his subjects’ disloyalty.

She remarks that she has no stone, but she remembers everything that has happened to her.

She says she thought Mahfiruz was with him tonight, and he smiles over her mispronunciation of her rival’s name. He tries to explain that although she thinks she isn’t free and that he is free, actually he has to bow to all the rules and conventions of the dynasty, like continuing his line.

Ana: “Are you afraid?”

Ahmet: “I’m the sultan. I’m not afraid of anything.”

They both start laughing.

She suggests that since he has enough burdens, they get rid of this stone.

Together, on the count of three, they drop the stone into the water and watch it sink.

 

Courtyard

It is time for the ritual feeding and payment of salaries to the soldiers that happens every quarter. Cennet explains this to Anastasia.  Food is presented to the soldiers, and in groups they go forward and eat with the spoons that they keep in their helmets. If they refuse the meal, it is an ominous sign and usually means an insurrection.

The Sultan and Dervish approach the gates. Dervish begs him to change his mind.

Ahmet: “I am the sultan. I don’t bend my head for anyone.”

Ahmet goes out and breaks the news  that the bonus won’t be distributed today. But he will keep his promise–they will get it soon.

Silence. In the tower of Justice, where the women are looking on, Safiye tells Handan, “Look what you’ve done. To exile me, you’ve thrown your son into the fire.”

Nasuh aga silently nods to the Sipahi leader, confirming, lest we still had any doubt, that Safiye Sultan is behind the entire rebellious plot.

The Sipahi aga shouts out that they won’t accept this. The soldiers draw their swords. They rush forward, on the attack. Ahmet’s personal guards leap forward to defend him.

Ahmet calls out angrily, “Villains! Take all their heads!”

Ahmet draws his sword as the fighting begins. Dervish has to drag him inside.

In the tower of justice, Handan turns to Safiye and begs her to do something to help her grandson. As Ahmet returns to the Has Oda, he finds his grandmother waiting for him outside. She says, “I think the time has come for you to make a gesture.”

The Divan officials go back out the gate and make an announcement that the bonus with be distributed today, after all. The trouble-maker Sipahi leader cries, “They said they had no money – you see, they are playing games with us.”

Nasuh aga calls out that the bonus is not being dispersed by the sultan but from Safiye Sultan’s personal treasury. The men who are loyal to her take up the chant, “long live Safiye Sultan!” – an obvious insult to Ahmet. Soon all the soldiers have joined in the chant.

 

Has Oda

Ahmet slowly puts his royal seal on the document that spells out the agreement with Safiye. Bulbul recites the terms of the agreement. It includes a guarantee that she will not be sent into exile. She has achieved her goal.

When everyone except Dervish has filed out of the room, Ahmet angrily knocks everything off his desk, showing his extreme frustration. Dervish tells him that yes she has had her victory today, but another day will come.

Then Dervish goes about the process of diminishing Safiye’s power.

 

Meanwhile, Handan and Halime finally agree to team up.

Halime: “You probably don’t believe it but I am really sorry about what happened to your son.”

Handan: “I thought about your proposal and it’s time for us to work together.”

Halime smiles. “It’s for the sake of our children.”  She then gives Handan a list of all the people in the harem who are loyal to Safiye Sultan.

 

Meyhane

The Janissary and Sipahi leaders are celebrating in the meyhane. Dervish is there, wearing a disguise, listening to them gloat. He breaks in on the most rebellious Sipahi leader with his men cut off the guy’s hand. While he is screaming in pain, Dervish tells him that this is what he gets for his disloyalty to his sovereign. He kills him. When he goes back downstairs, we hear women crying and we see that the other rebellious Janissary leader has also been killed.

 

Safiye Sultan’s bedchamber

Safiye wakes up in the morning without any of her servants around. There is no elaborate morning ritual today.

She calls out, but no one answers. She leaves her room and runs into Cennet and Bulbul aga who tell her that all of the servants, concubines and agas who serve her are gone. Soon she learns that all the people in high office who are her allies have either been demoted or sent out of the city. The head mufti who accepted her “gift” in episode 2 has been replaced. The Grand vizier is being sent to Hungary with the army, and even Nasuh aga has been appointed as a beylerbey far away in eastern Anatolia.

Her charities are also being cut off, but she says they can only have power over what they can see, implying that she still has secret sources of income and, possibly, secret allies.

 

Harem hamam

Ana approaches Golge in the hamam where they are both bathing. She tells her what happened that morning. She tells her about the secret passage and that she saw Reyhan kill someone. He is a murderer. She thinks it was the doctor he killed.

She’s scared. She says “I don’t know what to do.”

Golge answers by putting her finger across Anastasia’s lips – “Be silent.”

 

The sultan’s chamber

Dervish reports to the sultan and asks if he has any other orders.

Ahmet asks what happened to the cadet who beat him at the Janissary camp. Dervish thinks he has probably been condemned to death for such a serious insult.

Ahmet asks for him to be brought to the palace so he can personally deliver judgment.

 

Janissary camp

Zulfikar comes to get Iskender.

Iskender: “Where am I going? To my death, right?”

Zulfikar says nothing, but it’s clear that this is exactly what he expects.

Iskender asks his friends to keep something belonging to his real family and to please make sure that it is buried with him.

 

The secret garden

Ana tells Ahmet she was frightened, but for him. All those soldiers, she thought they would kill him. She confesses she is afraid of death. He says he isn’t anymore because he grew up with that fear. It’s not death he’s afraid of, but dying without having done anything worthwhile, anything to be remembered for. Or without having tasted love.

She kisses him. Very happily, he kisses her back.

Iskender, wearing a blindfold, is brought in to face his judgment.

 

END

My Turkish is not perfect. Any errors are mine and mine alone.

To watch this episode in Turkish, click here.

The first episode review and translation can be found here.

The second episode review and English synopsis can be found here.

Linda’s Facebook Page with more Muhtesem Yuzyil.